Drop-body vehicle.



No. 784,85] Pz atented Nov. 25, I902. A. P. BOWMAN.

DROP BqnY VEHICLE.

7 (Application filed Max. 10, 190 2.

(No Model.)

7 UNITE STATES AARON- P. BOWMAN, OF PONTIAC, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OFONE-HALF TO EDWIN A. HILL, OF PONTIAC, MICHIGAN.

DROP-BODY VEHICLE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 714,135, dated November25, 1902.

Application filed March 10, 1902. Serial No. 97,647. (No model To awhont it may concern.-

Be it known that I, AARON P. BOWMAN, a subject of the King of GreatBritain, residing at Pontiac, in the county of Oakland and State ofMichigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Drop-BodyVehicles, of which the following is a specification, reference being hadtherein to the accompanying drawings.

The invention relates to vehicles of that class in which the body isprovided with a central portion which is dropped between the forward andrear wheels. Such vehicles are frequently employed for delivery-wagons,as they enable the occupant to more readily enter and leave the vehiclethan the higher frames.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a construction inwhich the body has a spring-support upon the forward and rear axles andin which the latter are held in proper relation to each other by reachmembers pivotally connecting the same to the central or dropped portionof the body.

The invention consists in the-peculiar construction, arrangement, andcombination of parts,as more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the sill-frame forthe body, showing the manner of supporting the same upon the axles andthe pivotal reach connections. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section thereof.Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the complete vehicle, showing aslightly-modified arrangement of rear spring. Fig. 4 is a plan of aportion of the reach connection.

A is the vehicle-axle, and B is the rear axle,which may be of anyordinary construction.

0 is the body, and D is the sill-frame for the body.

The body-frame D comprises the parallel side-bars a,each of which has acentral dropped portion b. At opposite ends these bars are provided withthe securing hooks or angles c,whioh are attached to the cross-bars orend sills d.

E is an elliptical spring arranged beneath and secured to the forwardend sills d.

F is a block secured to the lower bar of the spring E and connected by aking-bolt to the forward axle A, this block forming the support for thefifth-wheel or circle-plate. The rear end sill cl may be similarlysupported upon the axle by means of the elliptic spring G, as shown inFig. 1, or a pair of springs G may be employed, as illustrated in Fig.3.

The drop bin the sill-frame preferably extends below the level of theaxles, and thus would interfere with any straight reach connectionextendingbetween said axles or between the rear axle and the block F.Fur thermore, as the body is supported upon the springs E and G therewill be a certain amount of vertical movement of the frame, which wouldinterfere with any reach connection immediately below said drop. I havetherefore devised a construction of reach in which the rear axleB isconnected by pivotal links H with the drop portion of the frame D andthe block F is similarly connected by the pivotal links I with theforward part of said drop portion. These links hold the axles fromspreading without interfering with the free vertical movement of thebody upon the springs. In order to afford a firmer support for theforward axle and king-bolt, another link J is centrally connected to theaxle at its forward end and at its rear end is pivoted to the dropportion of the frame.

As shown, the links H, I, and J are preferably formed of bars bent intotriangular shape and are pivoted to the axles and frame by cars K, L, M,and N. The ears on the body may be attached to cross-bars, such as O, orin any other way firmly secured to the drop portion of the frame. Thepairs of links H H and I I are also preferably oppositely inclinedtoward each other, so as to form a truss connection between the axlesand the body, preventing lateral oscillation.

With the construction as described it will be seen that the centralportion of the body may be dropped as low as desired, and at the sametime the body will have an easy springsupport upon the axles and thelatter will be held from spreading.

I desire it understood that while herein I have described and claimedcertain of the pivot-links as being connected to the forward axle theterm is not intended to be limited to constructions wherein theconnection is directly with the forward axle, but the same is to beliberally construed to include any part of the front running-gear.

What I claim as my invention is 1. In a vehicle, the combination withforward and rear axles, of a body having a central portion droppedbetween said axles, and a reach between said axles comprising saidcentral dropped portion, a pair of pivotal links connecting the samewith said rear axles, a second pair of pivotal links connecting saiddropped portion with the circle-plate above the forward axle and anotherpivotal link extending from said dropped portion and connectingcentrally with the forward axle.

2. In a vehicle, the combination with forward and rear axles, of adrop-frame adapted to support the vehicle-body, the same comprisingcontinuous parallel side bars dropped at a point intermediate theirends, cross connections arranged transversely of the frame and connectedto the dropped portion of the side bars, and link connections betweenthe axles and the cross connections, said link connectionsv beingpivoted to swing vertically; substantially as described.

3. In a vehicle, the combination with forward and rear axles, of adrop-frame adapted to support the vehicle-body, the same comprisingcontinuous parallel side bars dropped at a point intermediate theirends, cross connections arranged transversely of the frame and connectedto the dropped portions of the side bars, and approximately triangularlink connections between the axles and the cross connections, saidtriangular link connections being pivoted to swing vertically;substantially as described.

4. In a vehicle, the combination with forward and rear axles, of a bodyhaving a portion dropped between said axles, a pair ofoppositely-disposed vertically-arranged approximately triangular linkconnections between each side of said dropped portion and the axlenearest thereto, and horizontally-disposed pivotal connections betweenone end of each link and the dropped portion and between the oppositeend of each link and the adjacent axle, whereby the links may swing in avertical direction; substantially as described.

5. In a vehicle, the combination with for ward and rear axles, of a bodyhaving a portion dropped between said axles, a pair ofvertically-arranged approximately triangular link connections betweenopposite sides of said dropped portions and the respective axles, saidtriangular link connections being pivoted to swing vertically, and eachpair of links at opposite ends of the vehicle being inclined toward eachother; substantially as and for the purpose described.

6. In a vehicle, the combination with forward and rear axles, of adrop-frame adapted to support the Vehicle-body, the same comprisingcontinuous parallel side barsdropped at a point intermediate theirends,'cross connections arranged transversely of the frame and connectedto the dropped portions of the side bars, link connections between theaxles and the cross connections, saidlink connections being pivoted toswing vertically, and springs interposed between the body of the vehicleand the drop-frame; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aftix'my signature in presence of two witnesses.

AARON P. BOIVMAN.

Witnesses:

GEO. A. BROWN, FLOYD B. BABGOCK.

